Sandal



Jan. 23, 1934. w cy 1,944,664

SANDAL Filed Feb. 1932 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in sandals.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a sandal having permanently attached yieldable straps or loops arranged to securely hold all portions of the sandal to a wearers foot.

The common forms of sandals or mules worn by women for bathing or beach usage are constructed to receive the wearers foot flatly on the top surface of the sole portion, and only a pocket or strap is provided for entrance by the forward portion of the foot, so that in walking, the wear-' ers heel is entirely free with respect to the sandal and the sandal is only retained on the foot by a scufiing movement.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above objection by providing a simple form of sandal or mule having easily applied yielding means for securely holding the rear portion of a wearer's foot to the sandal, whereby there is no difliculty in retaining the sandal on a foot and the same is very comfortable, but the ease of removal or engagement of the sandal is not impaired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sandal having heel securing means which are always in engaging position and do not have to be secured or adjusted, and which are easily entered by a foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sandal having a front securing member and a rear securing member, the rear securing member being formed of a pair of yieldable straps secured together adjacent their end portions and arranged to diverge whereby one strap portion will engage the instep and the other strap will engage the upper heel portion of a wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sandal having securing means of the class described including an instep engaging strap secured at its end portions to the sole of the sandal and a heel engaging strap secured at its end portions to the instep strap adjacent the end 45 portions of the latter, the arrangement being such that the heel strap will always engage a wearer's heel under tension and at a proper elevation and will not slip down.

A further object of the invention is to pro- 50 vide a sandal of the class described in which the end portions of the heel securing strap are secured to the end portions of the instep engaging strap, but the attachment is not across the entire width of the latter strap so that the two 65 straps may be distorted easily with respect to each other to facilitate the insertion of a foot into the space between the major portions of said two straps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sandal in which the sole portion is shaped to present an attractive appearance and to elevate the rear portion of a foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sandal which is of very simple construction, is neat and attractive in appearance, is strong and durable, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved sandal, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:-

Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating the improved sandal as applied to a human foot;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the sandal;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the rear heel portion of the sandal and the heel securing means in position of repose; and

Fig. 4 is a view in section of the heel and instep engaging straps to illustrate the attachment between the same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will appear that the numeral 6 indicates a sole which is preferably shaped with the rear portion elevated with respect to the major portion of the sole and supported by a heel 7. Said sole may be formed of any desired suitable material, preferably wood, leather, composition, or the like. t For the purpose of securing the front portion of the sandal sole 6 to a wearers foot, a front securing strap 8 is provided. Said strap is preferably formed of elastic or yieldable material and 95 extends transversely of the sole in an arched condition over the ball receiving portion of the sole. The end portions of said strap are secured to side edge portions of the sole, as at 9.

Rearwardly of the strap 8, and forwardly a 100 short distance of the rear of the sole there is a similar yieldable strap 10 for the purpose of engaging the instep of the wearer. Said strap 10 is arched transversely of the sole and its end portions are secured to'side edge portions of the 105 sole, as at 11.

For the rear portion of the sandal, in addition to the instep strap 10, there is a yieldable heel engaging strap 12. The strap 12 coacts with the strap 10 and is arranged with respect thereto in no a looped, rearwardly, slightly upwardly project ing position, and in the position of repose the angle between said straps l0 and 12 is an acute angle. The end portions of the strap 12 overlap the end portions of the strap is obliquely, just above the points of attachment i1, and are secured directly to the forward portions of the ends of the strap 10 by rectangular blocks of stitching indicated by the numerals 13. It should be particularly noted that the securements 13 between the respective end portions of straps 10 and 12 are such that substantially the rear halves of the overlapped portions of the straps 10 and 12 are free whereby the looped portion of the strap 8 engages over the front portion of the to the strap 10 to facilitate entry of a foot through the opening 14 between the looped portions of said two straps.

In use, the wearer slips her foot through the opening or space 14 and forwardly below the straps 8 and 10. As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the strap 8 engages over the front portion of the foot, with tension, and the strap 10 similarly extends over the wearer's instep. The wearers ankle projects through the opening 14 between the rear straps 10 and 14 and the heel strap 14 engages in the rear concave of the human foot at a proper elevation immediately above the rear portion of the human heel 15. By reason of the rear straps 10 and 12, in addition to the forward strap 8, all portions of the sandal are secured .to the wearer's foot and the wearer may walk with perfect freedom and comfort and without the necessity of the usual scufl'ing motions which are required to maintain the ordinary sandal on the foot.

It has been found that the direct attachment of the ends of the strap 12 to lower portions of the strap 10, instead of to the sole, is very important in the attainment of correct engagement in use by the strap 12. As so secured the strap 12 is disposed at a proper inclination and elevation to hug desired heel portions and said strap will not slip down. Also, if the strap 12 were attached to higher or more inwardly disposed portions of the strap 10, said strap 12 would not assume the proper inclination and would slip down-to an ineffective and uncomfortable position in use. The mode of securement between the end portions of the straps 10 and 12, as before noted, is important in permitting easy distortion of flexing of the strap 12 with respect to the strap 10 for engagement or removal of the sandal, and said connections also permit ready flexing of the strap 10 to properly adjust it in desired position in use.

was es From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved sandal is both simple and novel, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a sandal having a sole, a yieldable front securing strap non-detachably secured tothe sole and arched thereover, and yieldable rear securing means non-detachably secured .to the rear portion of the sole and arched thereover, said rear securing means including an instep strap secured at its ends to the sole and a heel strap having its end portions obliquely under lappingand secured to the end portions of the instep strap immediately above the secured ends of said instep strap, only the forward underlapping portions of the heel strap being secured with respect to the instep strap, the heel strap diverging rearwardly and upwardlyfrom the instep strap at an acute angle to provide therebetween an ankle receiving opening.

2. In a sandal having a sole, a yieldable front securing strap secured to the sole and arched thereover, and yieldable rear securing means nondetachably secured to other portions of the sole and arched thereover, said rear securing means including an instep strap secured at its ends to the sole and a heel strap having its end portions rigidly secured directly to the end portions of the instep strap adjacent the secured ends of said instep strap and at an acute angle thereto whereby the heel strap is held in a position of rearward and upward divergence with respect to the instep strap to provide and maintain therebetween an ankle receiving opening, the major engaging portions of said straps being entirely separated.

3. In a sandal having a sole, 2. front securing member secured to the sole and extending thereover, and yieldable rear securing means secured to the rear portion of the sole and arched thereover, said rear securing means including an instep strap secured at its ends to the sole and a heel strap having its end portions obliquely underlapping and secured to the end portions of the instep strap immediately above the secured ends of the instep strap, only the forward under-lapping portions of the heel strap being secured with respect to the instep strap, 

